Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to sign James Maddison this week as Newcastle United back away from the playmaker.
Leicester City want up to £60million for midfielder James Maddison as Tottenham Hotspur aim to agree a deal in the coming days.
That is according to a report from The Telegraph, who claim that Tottenham are now trying to thrash out a deal to sign Maddison.
It’s stated that Maddison is a ‘priority target’ for new Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou and Spurs are now ‘pushing hard’ to secure a deal.
Newcastle are understood to be cooling their interest in Maddison as they instead focus on signing AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.
That has left the door open for Tottenham to go and move for Maddison, who suffered relegation with Leicester at the end of the season.
The report claims that Leicester still want around £60million for Maddison despite dropping into the Championship.
Tottenham don’t plan to go that high but an offer worth £40million plus add-ons is now believed to be coming this week.
Ange Postecoglou needs an attack-minded midfielder amid James Maddison interest
Tottenham are undergoing a real change of identity this summer.
Gone are the days of the conservative, 3-4-3 under Antonio Conte as Postecoglou brings his attacking 4-3-3 setup to Spurs.
The problem is that Tottenham don’t quite have the players to play that style just yet.
Postecoglou lacks a midfielder who can go forward and create, ideally score a few goals as well.
That may be where Maddison comes in as a proven Premier League midfield threat, having bagged 43 goals and 34 assists in 163 top-flight games.
Maddison seems to be an ideal fit for Postecoglou’s style of play and there is still some room for growth at 26.
This may not be a cheap deal for Tottenham but Maddison – once hailed as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola – could be the key to Postecoglou’s shift in approach.
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Chelsea: £34m star ‘one option’ to challenge Kepa at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could be challenged by £34m star at Stamford Bridge next season.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could be challenged by Brentford’s David Raya at Stamford Bridge next season, journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
The Blues need to sign a new shot-stopper as Edouard Mendy closes in on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli, and Jones says Raya is one of a few options to replace him.
Chelsea transfer news — David Raya
Last month, Jones informed GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea had legitimate interest in Raya.
It looked like the Spaniard would be joining their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, though, with the reliable Fabrizio Romano having reported that personal terms had been agreed.
However, no deal had been struck with Brentford, meaning the opportunity for Chelsea to sign him is still there.
According to Romano, Mendy is set to undergo a medical at Al-Ahli on Monday ahead of his move there, so it would be a bit of a surprise if the Blues did not end up bringing in another goalkeeper this summer.
What has Dean Jones said about David Raya and Chelsea?
With Tottenham no longer in the picture for Raya, Jones thinks Chelsea and Manchester United could make moves for the 27-year-old, who could cost around £34m.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider said: “Now that Spurs have moved on to another option, you begin to wonder how Raya will get out of Brentford. Man United have had an eye on him for a long time, so I can see how that might open up if [David] De Gea actually leaves.
“The De Gea situation really is bizarre. United are not in a good situation financially while they wait for the takeover and the idea of them having to buy a keeper on top of everything else they need really does seem unnecessary. You would think it makes more sense to just keep De Gea, even on a better paid deal, to see things through this transition.
“Anyway, beyond that, I also wonder about Chelsea in terms of Raya. Mendy is moving on; they need to bring someone else in, and while £40m is not cheap, it’s also not terrible for a club like this if they believe he can become the No.1. They will want Kepa to have some genuine competition next season and have four main options, of which he is one.”
Who will be Chelsea’s No.1 next season?
As it stands, Kepa. A report from Sky Sports has stated that Mauricio Pochettino plans to start the 2023/24 campaign with the 28-year-old as his first-choice goalkeeper.
If Raya does arrive at Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes, he may have to prove himself before becoming the Blues’ new No.1.
